Kaliakra Cape

Kaliakra Cape is one of the most beautiful places along the Bulgarian coast. Kaliakra was declared a protected area because of its great beauty. It is a unique combination of steep cliffs and crystal clear waters. Kaliakra Cape is famous for its dolphins and great variety of seabirds that nest on the cliffs. The great wealth of flora and fauna in the region of Kaliakra Cape is due mostly to the ecologically clean area free from human activity and therefore is able to retain primary beauty.

Extending more than two kilometers of the Black Sea, Kaliakra Cape is known as the longest nose in the Balkans. The beauty and historical wealth, which is Kaliakra Cape, attracts there every year more and more tourists not only from Bulgaria but also around the world. The word “Kaliakra” comes from the Greek word “καλός” (beautiful) and “άκρα” (Fortress). Just 20 minutes from the town of Kavarna, Kaliakra Cape is where you can see archaeological sites, dating from the Bronze Age and an old fortress.

According to a beautiful legend, Kaliakra Cape is named after a beautiful young girl who threw herself from the rocky shore so she was not to fall into the hands of her oppressors. The story says how 40 girls, including Kaliakra, jumped from the cliffs of today’s Kaliakra Cape, to avoid being captured by the Ottoman invaders. Another mythological story about this beautiful part of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, tells how Saint Nicholas, the patron of sailors, fleed from the Turks, and God extended the land under his feet to be able to evade, and thus the nose was created. Eventually St. Nicholas was caught, and today this place on Kaliakra Cape is home to a chapel, which was restored in 1993 in his honor.

Cape itself extends two kilometers into the Black Sea and the height of coastal cliffs, which are predominantly limestone reaches a height of 60-70 m. The main reason for the construction of an ancient fortress called Trisis there is because of inaccessibility to Kaliakra Cape. The fortress was successively used by Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Bulgarians. Today in the region of Kaliakra you can still see the ruins and remnants of these ancient settlements, most of which are set out in a small museum, where you can learn everything about the area’s history through the ages. For the convenience of Kaliakra Cape visitors, a cafe and a restaurant have been built there. Moreover, there is the attractive lighthouse marine radar station, a meteorological station and, of course, the chapel of St. Nicholas.

From that spot you can watch the dolphins while playing in the waves. Even relatively recently it was also a home to rare Mediterranean seal. This animal was in the past, very abundant and very common throughout the Mediterranean and the Black Sea including Bulgaria, but due to the pollution of their environment, hunting and development of the tourism industry they disappeared. The last Bulgarian seals could be seen in the early eighties of the 20th century. Today, Mediterranean seal is officially considered the most endangered mammal of the European Union and its future existence is uncertain.

Kaliakra Cape is one of the first protected areas in Bulgaria, declared a nature reserve in 1941, and the only one in Bulgaria, that includes a protected marine areas. During national holidays Kaliakra Cape is beautifully lit up by powerful floodlights and thus transforms into a magical place that combines the ancient history with the romantic side of the sea.

So if you wandered into this region, just visit Kaliakra Cape, where sea fights with the mainland and still make for an unusual beauty. I never imagined to find such a beautiful place here on Bulgarian Coast. I was really inspired that day to wear my gorgeous maxi dress and my Jimmy Choo sunnies, that perfectly matched with the rocky cliffs. I love to take advantage of the last summer days in long romantic dresses like the one in these pictures.

As much as I am excited for Fall with all the layering to come, I’m also feeling a little sad to say goodbye to these summer days! Because to me, Fall means rain and cold days. Have you ever felt like you still have so much summer clothes in your closet, and is running out of time to let the sun see them? That’s how I feel right now. Anyways, I will be heading to London next week for Fashion Weekend!!